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Revolutionary Girl Utena (Shoujo Kakumei Utena) is an anime series about one very weird University and the students who attend it. It and a manga were created simultaneously, although aside from some similarities they go in very different directions. The anime is more popular, and under the direction of the very interesting and funny Kunihiko Ikuhara, generally considered better by American fans.
Warning: Wikipedia contains spoilers!
The story focuses on Utena, a fiery pink-haired girl who insists on wearing boys' clothes. She attends the Ohtori Academy, and seeks the prince who once visited her and gave her a ring. Utena rooms with an Indian-looking woman named Anthy, who in turn is in an abusive relationship with another member of the Academy. Utena fights to protect Anthy, and is pulled into a series of sword duels with the student council, all of whom fight for Anthy as the key to a coming revolution.
The series itself is highly unusual, to the point of being outright metaphysical. Its uses of color alternate between serene and striking, while the world feels angular and modern, from the faces of the characters to the design of the Academy. A rose motif runs rampant. The plot is relatively straightforward, but everyone's motives are obscure (initially, at least). The series is great for fans of artiness and best taken on the metaphorical level, as the latter half of the series (and movie) becomes very obtuse if taken on the literal visual. This is due to what the director admits is a mix of metaphor, borrowed visuals from Takarazuka theater, classic shoujo, mythology, and a large amount of "stuff that just looks really cool."
The 39-episode Revolutionary Girl Utena TV series was created by some of the production company that made Sailor Moon Note that creator of Sailor Moon, Naoko Takeuchi, was not responsible for Utena, nor did the Utena manga author Chiho Saito have much control over the anime.
However, the director of Utena contributed to many episodes in Sailor Moon's third season, the most serious and arguably best of the series. In particular he is rumored to have established much the androgynous Tenoh Haruka's personality in that show, the gentler aspects having later been put into Utena's titular pink-haired tomboy. Many of the surreal aspects he pitched did not make it into Sailor Moon and after he left (or was fired?) may have been adapted for the Utena series.
An alternate-universe movie, named Adolescence Mokushiroku (or simply Adolescence of Utena) exists also and can be seen as the end of the story initiated by the TV series. Although it goes in a very different direction. It borrows enough elements from the series that it is best watch after seeing the TV series. It is even more gorgeously bizzare visually than the series, unusual enough it earned the good natured nickname among fans "End Of Utena", after the similarly weird but infinitely less cheerful End Of Evangelion.
Repeated motifs feature strongly and powerfully in Utena. Many scenes are reused -- exactly or almost so -- in several episodes. This may have been a practical consideration on the animators' part to reduce production costs, but it also lends a ritualistic sense to many of the repeated scenes -- such as the Student Council's ascent or Utena's entry to the dueling platform.
The series is divided into story arcs, in each of which Utena comes into conflict with a different power at Ohtori Academy. Particular motifs illustrate the style and methods of each rival: the Student Council's oath of revolution; the Black Rose cabal's psychologically torturous confessions; and Akio Ohtori's cruelly seductive uses of his car.
The dominant motif of the entire series is the rose, which fills the decor and landscape of the Academy as well as the ritual accoutrements of the Duelists. Another curious one is elevators, which seem to be used as places of transition or transformation -- the Council's elevator, Akio's, the Black Rose group's where the confessions take place, and the one installed in the dueling platform in the later episodes.
In all versions of the story, Utena a tomboyish but slightly naive character who lives to emulate the idealist Prince Figure from her chidlhood. She is forthright, honest, and friendly, and nearly all the girls in school adore her.
A mysterious darkskinned woman whose sometimes vapid look and superficial politeness seem to mask something more unusual. Many people project their wants or desires onto her, and she's often the target of their eventual rage or hate. In the movie, she generally seems more geniunely happy as is much more sexually aggressive towards Utena.
A arrogant handsome young man whose desire to be elegant and powerful drives him to cruel and unscupulous deeds. Although he liekly wishes to be more noble, he lack of affection from others doesn't allow him to have much empathy.
His portrayal in the comic and movie are considered more sympathetic, or at least pitiable.
Touga's over-the-top snob queen little sister, who is VERY fond of him. However, like most of Nanami's personality, this affection is just one of selfish immaturity rather than calculated evil. Many of the episodes that feature her are hilarious comedic and bizarre in nature.
The highly-skilled, polite, effeminate friend of Utena. He has a crush on Anthy in the anime (but on Utena in the manga) who reminds him of his 'ideal partner' and inspiration as a child. Although he crosses swords with Utena, he always has good intentions & is likely one of the few genuinely nice characters in the series.
Has a personality similar to Touga, who he emulates for similar rewards. Unlike other characters, he actually has few previous neurosis or psychological obsessions; more likely he is 'simply' a temperamental greedy jerk than a megalomaniac, and in some situations he has been shown to have empathy if taken down a notch. He is one of the least featured characters, with a very short part in the Utena movie., and sometimes the butt of jokes.
Anthy's pet. A small, comical, rather ugly tie-wearing marmoset who tends to thaw out some dry scenes. However, e seems to be aware of things other characters aren't. Saionji hates him for some reason.
Utena's Number #1 extremely affectionate (though platonic) fangirl and close friend. Wakaba's cheerful personality hides an enormous inferiority complex, and she attaches herself to other people to feel important.
An influence by Gnosticism can also be found, with Ohtori Academy as the illusory world and Akio as the Demiurge.By its plays on such archetypal figures as the Prince, the Princess or the Witch, and by the symbolist role carried out by such plot elements as coffins, thorns or castles, Utena can be seen as the quintessence of the Postmodernist Fairy tale.
It should be noted that the series addresses sexual themes quite often, including Yuri and Yaoi (lesbian and gay) elements, as well as more than mere suggestions of incest. However, the show rarely names them out specifically, treating them as existing but without passing judgment. Sexual content is more overt in the motion picture than the TV series, which is much more subtle. It is joked that it contains all the unusual romantic fetishes seen in anime, although somewhat confusing to those who are not been introduced to 'easier' anime.
Although the relationship of Utena and Anthy is more ambiguous in the tv series (the director has a dislike of the strong shipper tendancy in fandom and even complained about Sailor Moon's lead's idealized relationship) they are considered a couple, and at present are likely the most famous yuri couple in anime.
There are considered a good example of the lack of of strong uke/seme concept in yuri fandom. While Utena (especially in the movie) is boyish, strong, physically aggressive ('masculine' traits) she is more emotional and innocent than the wearily experienced (in more ways than one, in the movie) Anthy. Fans enjoy this feeling of 'equality'.
The movie is more blunt in its representations of themes like literally thinking outside the box, carving one's own path despite uncertainty, rejecting set paths and general self-discovery. Due to Anthy and Utena's more overt relationship in the film, it has been read as a "coming out" film by some appreciative fans.
IKEDA Riyoko's Rose of Versailles and Onisama e are established sources of inspiration for Utena, visually for the first and thematically for the second.
Another major inspiration, seen through the Student Council's Oath, is Hermann Hesse's Demian.
During the duel preparation sequences, Utena's outfit changes slightly in what is perhaps a friendly parody of the magical girl genre. Likewise elevator scenes have a transformation aspect to them.Visual Motifs
Characters
Tenjou Utena
Himemiya Anthy
Arisugawa Juri
Kiryuu Touga
Kiryuu Nanami
Kaoru Miki
Saionji Kyouichi
Chuchu
Shinohara Wakaba
Kaoru Kozue
Ohtori Akio
Themes
Inspirations
